The Urban Airshed Reforestation Program (UARP) would like to thank the 375+ volunteers that made a difference planting trees in Camden this season!

AmeriCorps NCCC volunteers planted trees with NJTF throughout October!"There's something worthwhile in planting a tree in front of your home, with your children, and watching that tree grow." - Carrie Sargaent, Heart of CamdenThere's a job for everyone at a tree planting!

The NJ Tree Foundation planted 120 new trees and over 380 shrubs/perennials in Camden through the UARP during fall 2010 with help from:

Alliance of United Culture at Rowan University, AmeriCorps NCCC, AmeriCorps Watershed Ambassadors, Bank of America, Camden ISP, Citizens Bank, the Cramer Hill CDC, Holy Name Church, Impact100 Philadelphia, One Day Matters, RadioONE, the Romero Center, Rutgers-Camden, Rutgers PIRG, Stockton College Water Watch/Energy Corps, Temple University Community Service Association, Unitarian Universalist Church in Cherry Hill, and of course — Camden’s residents and tree recipients!

It’s that time of year. Holiday plans, shopping, food and time with family. But what if you are one of the 10% of Americans unemployed? Or underemployed. Where do you turn for a holiday dinner?

Check-Out Hunger is an annual fund raiser for the Community FoodBank of New Jersey and is marking its 20th year this fall. This campaign, which began in New Jersey, is now run online and at supermarket chains across the northeast. The Community FoodBank of New Jersey reports that need for nutritious food is up 30-40 percent at its partner agencies (soup kitchens, pantries, shelters, etc) this year.

In 2009 Check-Out Hunger crossed the $2 million plateau for the first time. The campaign raised $2,093, 086 for food banks across the state. Since 1992, millions of people have supported the program at food markets and online at www.checkouthungernj.org. Participating food markets include A&P, Food Basics, Foodtown, Kings, Pathmark, Shop Rite, Super Fresh, Wawa, and Wegmans.

In your own neighborhood: Look for a display of Check-Out Hunger donation slips at the checkout aisles in your local food stores. Let the cashier know you want to add a donation to your grocery bill, and they take care of the rest! Grocery stores run the campaign at varying times from late September through the end of January, with the bulk of them running it in November and December. You can find a list of participating stores at www.checkouthungernj.org.

In your own home: You can donate through the Check-Out Hunger in New Jersey website at www.checkouthungernj.org.
Last year, the Community FoodBank of NJ distributed 35 million pounds of food to people in nee! Its staff and volunteers fight hunger and poverty not only through the distribution of food and grocery products, but by education and training, and by creating new programs to meet the needs of low-income people.

The Check-Out Hunger campaign is an easy way to make a difference. Please give as much as you can to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey!

NJTF would like to thank United Water Camden, LLC (UWC) and MAFCO Worldwide Corporation for their consistent support of the Urban Airshed Reforestation Program (UARP) in Camden!

UWC donates equipment and an operator to offload UARP trees during spring and fall tree plantings in Camden. That's a $5,000-8,000 donation every year!UWC's operators are skilled, professional, and a pleasure to work with! Special thanks to operators Kenny and Tito.Guy Dietrich of MAFCO hand-delivers mulch at UARP tree planting events. MAFCO's donation saves NJTF about $2,000 a year, as they donate one bag of mulch for every new tree we plant!

How can others help? You can support the NJ Tree Foundation by volunteering or making a donation! To access the Camden UARP page, please visit: http://www.newjerseytreefoundation.org/Camden.asp.

The NJ Tree Foundation joined forces with nearly 100 Camden residents and volunteers today to bring 50+ trees, shrubs, and perennials to the Whitman Park neighborhood of Camden! Trees were planted along the 1600 block of Louis, the 1200 block of Jackson, and the 1100&1200 blocks of Sheridan Street. Pictured above: trees and shrubs now surround the Jackson St. community garden! This planting was possible thanks to funding from Impact100 Philadelphia.

Today is the first day of the tree planting season for our new tree planting crew. The crew is comprised of ex-cons who, over the next eight weeks, will learn how to properly plant, mulch and maintain trees. They will also get training in rain garden planting and general landscaping. Once the season is over, these men will have gained valuable job skills and made a very nice sum of money!